It hasn't been the best past two seasons for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Over the past two seasons, the 30-year old wideout has played in just 19 games combined after dealing with a plethora of lower-body injuries and a PED suspension. Nonetheless, Hopkins isn't too far removed from a four-season stretch as one of the best passing targets in the NFL. Thus, it's no surprise that he has still drawn considerable interest on the trade market from teams such as the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots.
And it seems like it may not take long before Hopkins moves on from the place he has called home for the past three seasons. According to Ian Rapaport of NFL Network, trade talks among teams interested in the Cardinals wide receiver are “ramping up”.
Rapaport then added that a DeAndre Hopkins deal would “likely mean” a restructured contract for the five-time Pro Bowl selection, similar to when the Dallas Cowboys acquired Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans.
Hopkins will be carrying a cap hit of $19.45 million in 2023 and $14.915 million in 2024 should he get traded, so the Chiefs and Patriots will certainly have to alter his deal to fit his cap hit into their current cap space of $9.6 and $12.3 million, respectively.
The Cardinals wideout had a no-trade clause; however, his PED suspension rendered that clause moot. Thus, even though Hopkins has reportedly expressed interest in landing with another team, such as the Cowboys, he no longer controls his trade destiny.
This leaves the Chiefs and Patriots as two of Hopkins' most likely destinations. For the Patriots' part, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has already begun recruiting the 30-year old to New England, and Hopkins' social media activity (following quarterback Mac Jones on Instagram) could also be a sign of bigger things to come.
Meanwhile, on the Chiefs' side of things, new defensive end Charles Omenihu tweeted out his recruitment pitch towards Hopkins.
Prospective suitors of Hopkins will be hoping that he continues his strong play in limited action last year and becomes the Pro Bowl-caliber player he's always been in the past.
Follow Us
Subscribe